Swinging leg for folding bedsteads.



N0. 798,085. PATENTED AUG. 29, 1905 I'. B. WILLIAMS.

SWINGING LEG FOR FOLDING BEDSTBADS. APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 22, 1904.

Hummm z FITZALLAN B. WILLIAMS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SWINGING LEG FOR FOLDING BEDSTEADS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1905.

Application filed August 22, 1904. Serial No. 221,634.

To @ZZ whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, FrrzALLAN B. WILLIAMS, of Chicago, in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Swinging Legs for Folding Bedsteads, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to swinging legs adapted to work automatically as the bedstead is opened and closed; and the object of the improvement is to provide a leg and fasteningplate adapted to be secured to the outside of the side rail of the folding member of the bedstead, the said fastening-plate being entirely inclosed by a recess in the inner side of the leg, so as to be invisible when the leg and plate are in place on the bedstead and being adapted to secure the leg to the siderail so as to swing freely. The said fastening-plate and the recess in the leg are provided with the means for locking the leg when resting on the iioor in position to support the bedstead and for releasing it when the bedstead is raised, so thatthe leg is lifted off of the iioor. I attain this object by the leg-and-plate construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichE Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a fragment of the side rail of thefolding member of a bedstead with the leg and plate containing my invention applied thereto and being in unfolded position, as when the leg is resting upon the floor. Fig. 2V is an enlarged transverse vertical section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail showing an enlarged 'side view of the upper end of the leg and illustrating the side which comes next to the side rail. Fig. 4 is a detail showing an enlarged side view of the plate, the side illustrated being the one opposite from the one designed to lie against the side rail of the bedstead.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates the side rail, to which the swinging leg 2 is attached, and 3 is the fastening-plate. The inside of the leg 2 at the top end is provided with a circular recess 4 around a central raised portion 5, having a locking projection 6 eX- tending upwardly. The raised portion 5 is provided with a recess 7 on the opposite side of the leg-and an oblong perforation 8 through the leg at such raised portion. The lower side of said recess 4 is provided withV a lockingnotch 9. The plate 3 is made circular and of such size as to come wholly within the recess 4 of the leg, is flat on one side to t against the side rail of the bedstead, and provided with screw-holes 10 for fastening it to the side rail. The other side has a circular flange 11, with an outwardly-projecting lockingportion 12 at the lower side and inwardly-projecting locking portions 13 at the upper side. At the center it has a raised portion 14,which is provided with a perforation 15, adapted to receive a bolt 16. A washer 17 is applied on the raised portion 14 and held in position thereon by the bolt I6 passing through a hole in the side rail, as seen in Fig. 2. The part 14 passes through the perforation 8, and the washer projects beyond the perforation at the sides, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to hold the leg in place on the plate and allow it to play up and down by the part 14, working in the said perforation, the washer also working in the recess 7. A broad head of the bolt would servethe purpose of the washer. The washer and bolt-head lie sunken in the recess 7 below the common level of the outside of the leg. The plate lies wholly within the recess 4 of lthe leg', and the leg works up and down on the plate in said recess and rotates by gravity when the bedstead .is opened and closed. When the leg strikes the floor in lowering the bedstead, the latter continuing to descend carries the plate down through the perforation 8, causing the locking part 12 to engage the locking-notch 9 and the locking part 6 to engage between the locking parts 13 for holding the leg from displacement while sustaining the weight of the bed, and when the bed is lifted up the locking engagements at 12 and 13 are released, so that the leg will remain hanging' in vertical position as the bed is closed. Locking is preferred at both of said points 12 and 13, but not essential at both.

The raised part 5 of the leg impinges upon the plate 3 around the raised portion 14 of said plate, so as to carry the leg just free of the side rail, as seen in Fig. 2, and the said plate is entirely inclosed within said recess, so as to be hidden from view throughout the entire operation.

What is claimed is- A leg of the class described provided at the top with a circular recess 4 on its inner side and a recess 7 on the outside forming a raised portion 5 within the recess 4 said raised portion being provided with an oblong perfora- IOO tion, in combination with a circular plate l Vices adapted to engage and dsengage, as adapted to t Within said recess 4 and having speciled. a perforated raised part 14 ancla bolt with Washer or head adapted to project over said FITALLAN 'B' WILLIAMS' 5 raised part 14 and lie sunken in recess 7, said Witnesses:

circular plate and recess 4 ttng loosely to- R. J. JACKER,

gether and being provided with looking de- ANNIE M. ADAMS. 

